Central Park

the rewards of having a kick ass job

Last Friday we had another million trees planting. This one was at Bayswater. We had two groups of volunteers, one of which was an elementary school class. These kids were great. They were so happy to be planting trees. I tried to help out as many people as possible but one child kept calling me over to help him. He just couldn't quite figure out how to shovel out a hole without getting more dirt in it. So I would dig and he would plant. He asked me what my name was and told me that he was going to go home and tell his parents that I showed him how to plant a tree. Then he told me how much he loved nature and asked if I would be his friend. How awesome is that?

Later a bunch of kids from the neighborhood came to the site to see what we were doing. One of them just started helping and soon had all his friends convinced that they should help as well. He was so into it that he told his brother he didn't want to leave because this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that he was helping mother nature. Later he told me that he felt like we were all on this team together and that he felt like he had known me before even though this was the first time we had met. But the best thing he said was that this was a nutritious way to spend a day.

I hope that as these children grow up they continue to appreciate nature as much as they did that day.

graffiti

last year's work

Vermont

Rome

Burano, Italy

I just got back from a nine day trip to Italy, so expect to see more photos in the coming days.

Judith and the puffball

mushroom

leaf

cute in that sad helpless way

humanoid robot

Orange Fungus not sure what it is called yet

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

I wrote this a few weeks ago:

It is pretty windy out. I am sitting in Woodlawn Cemetery, enjoying my lunch hour. I love my job. I know I've said it a thousand times, but it's true. Sometimes working is better than not. I walk through the woods all day analyzing and making observations. The project I am working on right now is really cool because I get to look at what was in a given plant community twenty years ago and what is there now. I can also sometimes visualize how the plave looked when it was designed. I can see what species move in, which ones thrive, and which ones dissapear. Hopefully at some point I can learn what work has been done in an area and how that has affected the community.

I realize that botany and forestry is not for everyone and yes I am a science/ nature geek. But I don't care. I love it.

Murakami

Unfortunately no photos were allowed at the Murakami exhibit I went to in Brooklyn. I only managed to get two shots off before being yelled at "NO PICTURES". grrr. It was amazing. If you can get to Brooklyn and like art that is really colorful and sometimes erotic in an anime sort of way you should check it out. The exhibit is at the Brooklyn Museum of Art through July 13th.

Untermeyer Park

spring

winter

this didn't get to be up very long on the last space.

sneaky man

snowdrop with bee

Ostara

ephemeral

i started working in this huge park in the bronx two weeks ago. the top of the park is bordered by westchester county. there are some really beautiful places to hike within the park. you wouldn't even know you are in the city. the only draw back is that three highways cut through the park which creates unwanted sound. i suppose one could wear headphones but then one would miss out on all the sounds of nature as well.

yesterday i found my first spring ephemeral, snowdrop. it is a pretty white flower that hangs like a bell from its slender green stem. unfortunately, it is not native. i will be searching for ephemerals in the park s over the next month. i will take pictures and post them here. unfortunately i will probably not shoot with my slr because it is the bronx and i don't want to take the chance of getting my camera stolen. maybe once i get a partner i will feel more comfortable carrying an expensive camera around. i am in the process of interviewing candidates to assist me this year.

i'm very tired this morning. it is weird waking up in the dark again. time for breakfast. enjoy the day.